Selling Art, Not Selling Out

The Fizzle Show is one of the best podcasts around. Even with all the other podcasts I have lined up, it is a must listen every week.

As an artist, I find it especially helpful. In my experience, artists cringe when thinking of their art as a business, but that’s exactly what artists need to become: businesses. That’s why I recommend The Fizzle Show to any artist who wants to make a living from their art. The show doesn’t cater to artists in particular, but the lessons artists can learn from the show are invaluable.

Here are ten reasons artists should listen to the the Fizzle Show:

1. Engaging & Informative

When you think of marketing and business, you probably think of a stodgy old teacher lecturing at a podium. Anyone who had to sit through class and was bored to tears can relate. The Fizzle Show is nothing like that. Corbett, Chase, Caleb (who now has his own business), and Barrett are some of the most engaging hosts around. They provide a high level of insight with each of their episodes and they keep you entertained throughout. You can learn more in one episode of the show than you can reading entire books on the subject. There is rarely a second of dead air, and they are chock-full of good advice.

2. Business Ideas Everyone Can Understand

When you hear most people talk about business, your eyes glaze over. You think to yourself “What in the world are they talking about?” Not so with the Fizzle Show.

These guys know how to make business easy to understand and relatable to your Average Joe. The problem with most people who talk about business and marketing is, they are too high concept. People can’t relate to most of the ideas they are trying to convey. The guys at Fizzle take questions readers ask them, and give advice anyone can relate to. They break problems down to the most basic level and take it from there. They make their answers understandable for people at all stages of business, from mom and pop stores to tech startups.

3. Multiple Perspectives

One of the biggest strengths about the Fizzle show is the dynamic between the hosts. Each of them has a different perspective on the topics they cover. This helps give you a more complete picture of the problem and solution.

Corbett Barr is the veteran business leader. He brings years of experience as a blogger and podcaster to the table. He is often the voice of reason and uses his experiences to guide his answers. If you are looking for some sage advice, Corbett is your guy.

Chase Reeves is the fun guy you want to hang out with. His character voices always make me burst into laughter. He helps keep the shows lighthearted and fun to listen to. He not only brings the funny, he also provides amazing insights and has created a killer design for the Fizzle site.

Barrett Brooks is the young blood of the group, but that doesn’t mean he is unknowledgeable. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Barrett often has the most helpful insights despite being the newest member of the group. His focus is all around building community, so his knowledge is especially helpful for those trying to build an audience.

Caleb Wojcik was art of the earlier episodes of the Fizzle Show. I miss hearing his perspective because it was often quite good. I also miss the occasional Woj Bomb. He has since gone on to become the DIY Video Guy.

4. They Answer Questions from Real People

Many episodes of the Fizzle Show revolve around specific questions by listeners. By doing this, they are not only gaining a passionate fan for Fizzle, they are also showing their audience that they are not alone in their struggles.

Unlike other great shows like AskGaryVee and AskPat, the answers they give come from multiple perspectives. This allows the audience to weigh different ideas and options before tackling the problem.

Which brings me to the next point.

5. In-Depth Analysis and Answers

Another great thing about the Fizzle Show is, they leave no stone unturned. They explore every topic and question until there is nothing left to be said.

Many shows on business and marketing will give you a brief overview on the topics they are covering. They will give you a glimpse of what you need to know. On the Fizzle Show, they often spend the entire hour talking about a single topic.

In that hour, they will talk about the topic until there is nothing left to be said. Each host gives their own unique view, and they will often go back and forth, exploring the other’s perspective. This dynamic helps the show flow extremely well, and makes the hour go by in a flash.

6. They Want to Help People Succeed

The reason Fizzle has succeeded is they make helping their audience their number one priority. They consistently provide useful advice aimed to help people struggling in their businesses. And they do all of this while making it feel personal. Every episode feels like it was made for you.

Even if you aren’t having trouble with the issue they cover in an episode, they make the show interesting enough that you want to listen. This allows you to tackle those problems later in your journey, even if haven’t encountered them before.

Most businesses would use this opportunity to nauseatingly push their products. Fizzle simply does not do this. They are so focused on providing value that people are eager to join their community.

Conclusion

If you have a burning question about business or entrepreneurship, there is no better place to turn than the Fizzle Show. They cover many topics that entrepreneurs commonly encounter. This is especially helpful for artists who are having trouble turning their art practice into a business. The lessons you learn will give you deeper insights into how your business should be run.